Stock-Rising Sophomores

Collin Parker

January 20, 2020 @ 09:18 PM

In the right system, various skills can culminate perfectly, turning young teenagers into leaders in their programs. In some way, all five of these sophomores have done this, becoming breakout players in only their first — or second — year on varsity. Andrew Keller - Waunakee: Waunakee is shocking the Wisconsin prep basketball landscape with their 11-2, and at the helm of their roster is Keller, whose rise is equally explosive and impressive. The forward has a taut, lengthy frame ideal for swatting shots and racking up points in the paint. Most importantly, he's the leader of a roster with exceptional depth, making him the core player on a team anticipating a stretch atop their conference. Kade Van Asten - Little Chute: Van Asten sits in the driver’s seat at Little Chute, dominating games as a three-and-D swingman. He’s currently averaging 17.1 points per game while hitting well over a third of his shots from beyond the arc and blocking 1.5 shots a night. What’s most impressive about the guard is that — aside from having a small reputation before this season — it’s his first year on varsity. No one on this list threatens his stats, and some of them have been tailored to the varsity pace and style for a year. Matt Imig - Ashwaubenon: Ashwaubenon is an elite team led by a sophomore duo of Imig and Marcus Tomashek. Imig edges out his partner statistically, averaging 14.1 points, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals. What sets him apart, though, is his three-point shooting. As a knee-jerk shooter who has already made eight threes in a game this season, he deserves plenty of praise for the strides he's made in that arena. Joah Filardo - Mineral Point: Without Isaac Lindsey on the floor, Mineral Point was in desperate need of a pure scorer. I sat in witness to Filardo’s ascension to that role only a month ago, as the guard poured in 35 points in an overtime loss to Wrightstown. Since then, it’s been a consistent stretch of above-average scoring and colorful stat lines. If he can turn this Mineral Point team around from a slow start, then he’ll start to make significant strides towards replacing Lindsey. Max Weisbrod - DeForest: Weisbrod is another prospect that has stepped into a winning roster and maintained their success with elite all-around play. Specifically, his high IQ paired with smart passing and a crisp jump shot made it easy for the young guard to take control of the program. His potential is incredibly high, as he has all the intangibles to improve drastically every year.